Roof ladder



July 24, 1956 o. H. EDWARDS ROOF LADDER Filed Oct. 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0m er H. Edwards INVENTOR.

' BY (Wavy EM y 4, 1956 o. H. EDWARDS 2,755,981

ROOF LADDER Filed 001.. l, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I Fig. 3 24 Edwards INVENTOR.

United States Patent ROOF LADDER Omer H. Edwards, Stamford, N. Y. Application October 1, 1952, Serial No. 312,558

1 Claim. (Cl. 228-51) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in roof ladders, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a ladder of the character herein described, which may be conveniently and effectively employed for gaining access to the roof of a building while installing shingles, undertaking repairs, and the like.

An important feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for sustaining the ladder in position on a roof by virtue of its supportable engagement with the roof ridge.

Another feature of the invention resides in its discerptibility, whereby the ladder assembly may be readily separated into a plurality of easily manipulable sections ice overhang the roof ridge so as to sustain the long section 12 in position.

The lower end of the section 12 may rest upon a suitable scaffold 22 so that the ladder section 12 is sustained in upwardly spaced relation from the surface of the roof itself, whereby shingles may be secured in place on the roof without interference from the ladder.

in a slightly modified arrangement of the invention (see Figures 3 and 5), the ladder may be composed of two sections 24 of substantially equal length and pivotally connected together at the upper ends thereof as indicated at 26 so as to effect an angular adjustment for and whereby the length of the ladder may be increased or decreased as required for the work.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity of construction, in its eflicient and dependable operation and its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention in use;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating a slightly modified arrangement of the invention;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view showing the invention positioned on a roof on both sides of the roof ridge;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a ladder adapted to be positioned on only one side of the roof ridge;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective detail illustrating the pivotal connection between the ladder sections shown in Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a group plan view illustrating one form of separable connection between the ladder sections;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary group plan view illustrating another modified form of the ladder;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of an arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view, partially broken away, illustrating a further modified arrangement of the ladder, and

Figures 10 and 11 are fragmentary details showing two different arrangements of the foot board supporting pins used in the invention.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, more particularly to Figures 1 and 4, the roof ladder is designated generally by the reference character 10 and consists of a relatively long section 12 and a relatively short section 14 which is rigidly connected to the long section by suitable elbows 16, so that when the ladder is positioned upon a roof 18, the short section 14 may roofs of diiferent pitches. It should be understood, of course, that in this arrangement the two ladder sections 24 are disposed at the opposite sides of the roof ridge for working on both sides of the roof, and that the pivots 26 permit the two sections to be adjusted angularly relative to each other as desired.

Referring now to the accompanying Figure 6, the ladder is preferably constructed from sections of pipe forming a pair of side members 28 and a plurality of rungs 30 which are connected to the side members by T-couplings 32. The ladder is of a discerptible nature so that it may be built-up in any desired length, this being achieved by slip-fitting the pipe sections of the side members 28 into the couplings 32 and removably securing the same together by means of pins 34 which are extended through the couplings 32 and through the sections of the side members 28.

In a modified form of construction shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9, the side member elements 28a are provided at the opposite ends thereof with left and right hand screw threads 36, 38 for coaction with corresponding threads in the couplings 32a, while the rungs 30a are secured in the couplings 32a by removable cotter pins 40.

As is illustrated in Figure 10, the couplings 32 or 32a are provided with apertures to accommodate upwardly projecting pins 42 (the pin receiving apertures being illustrated at 44) and upstanding foot boards 46 may be secured to the pins 42 by suitable fastening elements 48. (See Figure 1.)

Alternatively, as shown in Figure 2, two ladder units 10 may be positioned on the roof in spaced parallel relation and relatively long planks 50 may be substituted for the foot boards 46 so as to extend between the two ladders, longitudinally of the roof, as illustrated.

In the arrangement shown in Figure 10, the pin 42 in each coupling is positioned between the adjacent ends of the side member sections 28a, while in a modified form of the invention shown in Figure 11, a similar pin 52 extends transversely through the coupling 32]; and through one of the side member sections 28b which is slip-fitted into the coupling and is held in place by the pin 52. A cotter pin 54 may be provided on the pin 52 to sustain the latter in place, while the connecting side member section 28a is screw threaded into the coupling in the conventional manner.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new A discerptible ladder for use on a roof comprising a pair of rigid side members, each of said side members 3 including a plurality of sections; a coupling fixed to one end of each of said sections, the end of an adjacent section being telescopingly received in said coupling, said coupling and said section having aligned openings; a pin extending through said openings for securing sfii sections together, transversely egttendinglrungs det'a qhably connected between said side members, said pins extending transversely to said side members and to said rungs, said pins having a transverse opening therein and a fastener extending through said opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Spelman Nov. 7, 1882 15 4 Holmes Aug. 28, 19.06 Walter Feb. 11, 1908 Parris Apr. 4, 1911 Hyde Nov. 19, 1912 Cleary et a1 Feb. 24, 1914 Hurlbut July 9, 1935 Born Feb. 15, 1944 Osten Dec. 30, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain July 6, 1922 Denmark Dec. 10, 1934 

